30-Second Reviews: P!nk, Ben Folds Five, "Key & Peele" and More

Concrete Polish Showroom 716 N. Third St. Stop and shop: Skilled local metalsmith and owner Angela Monaco has partnered with Daily Candy to offer 50 percent off any $100-$200 purchase now through Oct. 3. The deal can be redeemed both online and in store at her quaint NoLibs showroom. Item to die or kill for: Any of Monaco’s two-finger or Tree Trunk Crystal Growth rings. Both will add a touch of badass-ness to any outfit. Grade by size: XXXL. You won’t find handcrafted adornments like these anywhere else. (Nicole Finkbiner)

On the Guest List

Sequence 8 Sat., Sept. 22, Merriam Theater Overall vibe: As thrilling as a show can possibly get. Unlike Cirque du Soleil, the Montreal-based circus company 7 Fingers doesn’t rely on extravagant costumes or props—just eight talented individuals in plain clothing performing mind-blowing fetes and cracking a few jokes in between. Most memorable moment: The audience’s instinctive groans and gasps as the two male performers launched several feet in the air off a seesaw, not always landing gracefully. Scene stealer: Alexandra Royer. She made both the Russian bar and aerial hoop her bitch. (N.F.)

Backwards VIP screening & reception Thurs., Sept. 20, Philadelphia Museum of ArtOverall vibe: Indie filmmaking crossed with Main Line posh, as local screenwriter/actress Sarah Megan Thomas and director Ben Hickernell debuted their rowing-club drama Backwards (in theaters now) to a glammed-up audience of friends and colleagues.Most memorable moment: A quasi-acoustic trio of the Hooters took to the steps of the museum’s Great Stair Hall to perform their original theme song, “If I Should Fall Behind,” from the film’s soundtrack.Scene stealer: Turned out the Live Arts Festival unintentionally conspired to make the screening feel like an Oscar-bound red-carpet premiere, as, immediately outside the museum’s front doors, the simultaneous debut of the Open Air public art project meant a crowd of thousands were ooh-ing and aah-ing at all the mega-spotlights criss-crossing the sky. (Stephen H. Segal)

On the Page

Let Me Clear My Throat By Elena Passarello (Sarabande Books)In summary: Actor and essayist Elena Passarello pens some 30 smart, charming, funny ruminations on the human voice and its place in the world. Standout pieces include a biography of the most famous scream in Hollywood history; a breakdown of the relationship between song and birdsong; and an analysis of the sounds of disgust.Akin to: A dinner party at which David Sedaris, Mary Roach and Marlon Brando are trying to out-monologue one another.Author fun fact: In 2011, Passarello—a South Carolinian by way of Pittsburgh—became the first woman ever to win New Orleans’ annual “Stella!” Shouting Contest. (S.H.S.)